The controversial start to Australia’s 2009 Nation Rugby League (NRL) season has already resulted in a number of potential sponsors stepping away from the code.
Manly footballer Brett Stewart's drunken antics last week saw him charged with sexual assault and suspended from the competition until round five.
According to Australian Sponsorship News, the Bulldogs – formerly known as the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs - claim it lost out on two sponsorship deals since the publicity broke.
Bulldogs general manager Dirk Melton said the club had been close to signing deals with two "blue chip" companies.
"They would have not only provided the Bulldogs with great dollars but more importantly for us at the moment, they would have provided great equity growth in our brand," Melton said.
Both are believed to have cited concerns over the recent NRL publicity as a reason for withdrawing from negotiations.
